Anti-Reading sentiment

[Ups and Downs]

I thought we'd take the impetus from last year and start strong before the results started to settle out. But we've started pretty badly and it's hard to see it getting better. We scored two against Chelsea but it was an open game and one of those goals came out of nothing. Other than that we've been shit. Any reporter or otherwise who says we look fit for the drop is right. Anyone else is a Reading fan.

[Ginger_Blitz]

Not surprising that people have a downer on Reading as they probably know very little about the club apart from the pre-season odds (ever seen a poor bookie?) and 1 poor TV performance against a quality club now finding their feet.
Get the usual first 6/8 dodgy games out the way, add a couple of quality signings in the window & shine up Brian's magic bonce - we'll be fine.
Comforted that we appear to have more winnable games after Christmas.

[blueroyals]

Not surprising that people have a downer on Reading as they probably know very little about the club apart from the pre-season odds (ever seen a poor bookie?) and 1 poor TV performance against a quality club now finding their feet.
Get the usual first 6/8 dodgy games out the way, add a couple of quality signings in the window & shine up Brian's magic bonce - we'll be fine.
Comforted that we appear to have more winnable games after Christmas.

1. Why were these quality signings not done in the Summer?
2. Where is the money for this going to come from, with no free transfers being available?

This is the squad for the rest of the season. Next summer we'll be more active (if we're still PL).

[Ginger_Blitz]

Not surprising that people have a downer on Reading as they probably know very little about the club apart from the pre-season odds (ever seen a poor bookie?) and 1 poor TV performance against a quality club now finding their feet.
Get the usual first 6/8 dodgy games out the way, add a couple of quality signings in the window & shine up Brian's magic bonce - we'll be fine.
Comforted that we appear to have more winnable games after Christmas.

1. Why were these quality signings not done in the Summer?
2. Where is the money for this going to come from, with no free transfers being available?

This is the squad for the rest of the season. Next summer we'll be more active (if we're still PL).

1. Brian declared himself happy with the signings he had but they have not performed as of yet (nor have most of the existing players) - they will get better.
2. I think signings in the window will be necessary to stand still compared to other teams around us but I stand to br corrected.

[Royalclapper]

It's because:

We don't spend shit loads of money, haven't faced liquidation in the last 20 years, don't have any ex top-4 club players in the side.

If none of the above, then finding something to say about a club involves actually doing some research or being a real football fan.

[weybridgewanderer]

... I personally couldn't think of anything worse than supporting a club 300 miles away from where I live

Reading is 1050 miles away from where I live !!

[RoyalBlue]

We all know the BBC seem to brush Reading aside without a moment's thought, but after our pretty poor start to the season has anyone else noticed that nearly every pundit and even every neutral fan have been quick to say how poor and lacking in ideas we are.

The problem is they overlook that Reading seem to make a habit (especially last year) of starting slowly - what is also overlooked is how McDermott moulded us into a Championship winning side when no-one gave anyone a hope apart from Leicester and West Ham last season who we made look decidedly average. It just seems like a typical knee-jerk reaction from the BBC (and Lawro) in particular to call us so poor or favourites for relegation without looking at the bigger picture, we're only 5 games in for god sake.

Perhaps what annoyed me more is getting abuse off of two Liverpool fans yesterday at how we play 'long ball' football and are certainties for relegation which i thought was quite rich considering they've just had their worst start to the season since 1928, coincidentally with our worst manager in the modern era.

He might have had one of the worst run of results but he very definitely wasn't our worst manager in the modern era.

[robbieroyal]

Unfortunately Wet Sham and Southampton have shown more of a gamble than us and I Guarantee both finish above us this year! We can't even compare near to their firepower.

I think the majority of us on here don't want AZ to spend 40-50mill but a 5-6mill marquis signing, a proven goal scorer or game changer. I know we were limited but there were players out their with that criteria in which we didn't get/go for.

We could rue that decision. Pog, McCleary, Gutherie & Mariappa were all safe signings, a small amount on transfer fees in today's market.

I think Swansea, Norwich, Wigan, QPR and us will be the bottom 5. I just hope we can pull something out and start turning up for a game in the next couple weeks.

[Royal Lady]

... I personally couldn't think of anything worse than supporting a club 300 miles away from where I live

Reading is 1050 miles away from where I live !!

I reckon your sat nav is on the blink. NO way are we 1050 miles from Weybridge.

[Winnershroyal]

... I personally couldn't think of anything worse than supporting a club 300 miles away from where I live

Reading is 1050 miles away from where I live !!

I reckon your sat nav is on the blink. NO way are we 1050 miles from Weybridge.

750 miles tops.

[Z175]

We didn't look out of place at this level on Saturday.

The top teams have the quality to get wins when not playing well. We're not at that level, so will need to be totally on it in all departments to beat people. But Brian has an impressive track record of getting that, and the goals we're shipping are only fractionally making it in the net. I think all the back 5 were excellent on Saturday and thats where we'll build from.

Prepare to be promoted from doomed to dull!

[RepressedRoyal]

I predicted 5 points at this stage, 3 from Stoke, 0 from Chelsea, 1 from WBA and 1 from Spurs, that would have constituted a very decent but not unrealistic start for a team trying to stay up. It hasn't happened and personally, I think those accused of being doom mongers are quite justified at this stage because our level of performance has been generally poor. I was quite shocked at the performance and tactics in the Spurs game, the set up of the team destroyed the atmosphere in the ground and gifted a wobbly and under pressure Spurs side the ascendancy. I still can't work that one out but it was at best, a naive tactic.

Still, after four games McDermott is still finding his feet and adjusting to the next step from the Championship and though it feels like eight steps right now, if we pick up 4 points from the Newcastle, Swansea and Liverpool games life will seem a whole lot better.

If we pick up nothing, which is conceivable, then my friends, we have a huge task.........

"A total of ten,
A total of te-eh-en,
We've got the record,
A total of ten."

[Stuka]

That bloody rain sodden fixture at Sunderland hasn't done us any favours. We do have a game in hand, but I think that threw us.

[Barry the bird boggler]

We all know the BBC seem to brush Reading aside without a moment's thought, but after our pretty poor start to the season has anyone else noticed that nearly every pundit and even every neutral fan have been quick to say how poor and lacking in ideas we are.

Now I wonder why that would be

[Barry the bird boggler]

That bloody rain sodden fixture at Sunderland hasn't done us any favours. We do have a game in hand, but I think that threw us.

[Stuka]

[pea]

I know we didn't get the credit we deserved last season but this year is a different matter, we've done nothing to prove ourselves and so they're completely justified in saying that. Robbie Savage saying it before the season started isn't him being anti-Reading, he likes us and if you listened to him commentating on the Forest game on 5live he sounded like an adoring fan, especially when we scored and all that followed, it is just him being realistic.

[Gordons Cumming]

I hate to say this, but I think Southampton should have, and deserved to, won the league last season. Played the better, passing, possession football which is more suited to the Premiership.

They have a better chance of staying up...........................

Let's see what the Russians do if this winless streek continues.

[melonhead]

Not surprising that people have a downer on Reading as they probably know very little about the club apart from the pre-season odds (ever seen a poor bookie?) and 1 poor TV performance against a quality club now finding their feet.
Get the usual first 6/8 dodgy games out the way, add a couple of quality signings in the window & shine up Brian's magic bonce - we'll be fine.
Comforted that we appear to have more winnable games after Christmas.

1. Why were these quality signings not done in the Summer?

1. Brian declared himself happy with the signings he had but they have not performed as of yet (nor have most of the existing players) - they will get better.

tbf after the first two games everyone was raving about mcleary pog and guthrie

[melonhead]

I hate to say this, but I think Southampton should have, and deserved to, won the league last season. Played the better, passing, possession football which is more suited to the Premiership.

shock:

lol